Critical issues for pre-school education: towards a research agenda
Economic and Social Research Council Seminar Series
This series of seminars, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, aims to develop a research agenda that will address the issues about the development of pre-school education that currently challenge policy makers, educational providers/managers and researchers. Each seminar will provide a forum to look again at what we need to know to make a difference to the pre-school experience of 3 to 5-year-olds.
An important characteristic of the seminars will be the wide mix of perspectives represented from across the four UK education systems. Participants will include researchers with expertise in education, psychology and social policy as well as those who shape policy and develop curricular and practice guidance from across the UK. The seminar series will offer opportunities for debate between participants from the voluntary, private and public sectors, all of whom have important interests in learning in the early years and developed understandings of the needs of children, their families and the processes of pre-school education.
Seminar themes
Seminar 1
focused on the rationale for a distinctive phase of pre-school education.Seminar 2
focused on meeting the diverse ethnic and cultural needs and expectations of young children and their parents. .Seminar 3
explored issues relating to diversity and tailoring learning opportunities to meet varying needs.- Seminar 4 will debate pedagogical strategies, focusing on questions raised in research by educationalists and developmental and social psychologists.
Attending the seminars
The seminars will be held in Scotland, London and Wales. Pre-school providers, practitioners, advisers and managers, along with researchers and university educators will be able to attend. There is no fee for the events and some support for travel costs is available but numbers are limited and you will have to apply in advance. However, if you are not able to join the seminar in person there will be an opportunity to engage with the issues when we publish a summary of the discussion online and invite you to respond.
Find out more
Details of each individual seminar and the registration process will be published in advance on our events page and at the University of Stirling Institute of Education research events page.
Download further information about the seminar series:
PDF file: ESRC Seminar Series - Critical issues for pre-school education - towards a research agenda (88 KB)
To book a place at any of the events or to find out more, contact Christine Stephen
christine.stephen@stir.ac.uk.